Today I start a journey. I hope you will come along. Mine started on Neff Road.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Smell of the Earth

Spring. The smell of the earth. It was the way of growing up on Neff Road. Bare feet walked across newly plowed fields. The cold, damp earth felt wonderful. The smell of the rich, dark soil of Darke County was like no other. It was the smell of home.

Yesterday I spent the day pulling weeds and trimming at James and Lisa's. Gotta get ready for those twins! I trimmed new shoots on plants, retied climbing jasmine, crawled beneath shrubs looking for weeds. It was a good day for soil. I am a farm girl.

I never planted flowers back that lane on Neff Road. We didn't really trim shrubs or do much with landscaping. I was introduced to this task when we moved to Combined Locks, Wisconsin. Our sweet house was located on a ravine. The lady who had lived in the house before us had planted every perennial flower imaginable. She and Spring Hill Nursery had very good a relationship. The ravine was landscaped with a small bridge crossing mid-way down. A lilac hedge ran along the side of the ravine. A big flower bed waited for me to do maintenance. Yes, along with the flowers came the weeds.

I had no idea what to do with this beautiful yard. I was a farmer not a gardener. But I learned by trial and error. I found that I loved the time in the yard. Eventually I added two rock beds to the back of house. My rest and therapy was found in the soil.

We came to Oregon. Landscaping and plants were so different. A milder climate welcomed a new beauty I had not seen. I could not wait to get my hands into the Northwest soil. A trip to the nursery for me is like a trip to toy store for a kid.

I welcome spring and fresh scent of newly turned earth. I welcome the memories that come with it. Once more bare toes dig into the warm, dark soil back that lane on Neff Road.